A known temperature sensor arrangement measures the temperature of air flowing in a passageway and includes a generally cylindrical housing having a cavity in which a sensing element is positioned along a center line. The outer casing of one known sensor arrangement includes slots carved out on the center line to allow air inflow to the sensing element. One implementation for such a known temperature sensing arrangement is in an aircraft bleed air system, which carries air from a gas turbine engine for pressurization, compartment temperature control, and wing anti-icing systems. Although the slot arrangement of this known temperature sensor device protects the sensing element from large debris, the inventors of this application have found that smaller debris (e.g., sand) passing through the gas turbine engine may cause damage to the sensing element due to the debris impacting the sensor element. Design constraints typically preclude moving the sensor to a safer location, clocking the sensor, or changing the sensor time constant to the point that a pneumatic system controller change would be required.
In one aspect, the present invention addresses drawbacks of the above-described temperature sensor design by incorporating a flow passage pattern that substantially reduces or eliminate damage due to debris impacting the sensor, thereby improving reliability and extending operation life of the temperature sensor.